No comments about Betting It All: The Technology Entrepreneurs.

3 comments about The Whitney Women and the Museum They Made: A Family Memoir.

1. Although I like this book for what it is, it isn't exactly what I expected it to be when I bought it. I expected the book to give much more insight into the actual creation of the Museum by Gertrude, but for the most part that aspect is just gleemed over. Also, as another reviewer has pointed out, the contributions of Julianna Force are barely even mentioned in the book. If you didn't know better, you'd think Julianna did next to nothing the whole time she worked there, which is more than a little untrue.

   However, it must be noted that Ms. Biddle says first and foremost that her book is a "memoir," and as such certain factual omissions might be expected. Consequently, the book is filled from nearly beginning to end with quite a bit of gossip that those interested in the Vanderbilt or Whitney families or in museum politics will find terribly interesting.

   What I got most from the book though is the wonderful sense of supreme devotion that Flora Whitney Miller must have had to the Museum and to her mother Gertrude's memory. This was illustrated time and time again when Flora donated more of her money and capital to keep the Museum functioning in a way that befitted her mother's name. As other members of the Whitney family have shown in recent times, a single painting of the calibur that Flora Miller sold for the Museum's sake could have set her heirs up for life, had she chosen not to sell it and had passed it on.

   The book also seems to give insight into the recent controversies at the Whitney involving the display of Hans Haacke's controversial art display, with different members of the Whitney family taking different sides. After reading this book, it's obvious that certain ill feelings by some members of the family for others go back many, many years.

   In summary, if you like gossip, then this book is for you. If not, there are other books about the Whitneys that might be of more interest to you.




2. While I certainly enjoyed the Vanderbilt and Whitney family backgrounds, I found nothing worth noting in this book regarding the early days of the Whitney Museum. I purchased the book because I am writing a research paper on the founding of the Whitney Museum. Alas, the book focuses much on the fate of the Museum after Gertrude Whitney's death. There is very little detail or specifics concerning her role in the Museum, nor that of the main catalyst, Julianna Force.

   I will say that the book is a good, juicy look into the aristocratic Vanderbilt family, but that's about it.

   There is focus on later years, but very few details concerning the early days of the Museum.

   I'll shelve it for now and save it for a rainy day!




3. "The Whitney Women and the Museum They Made" pays tribute to Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, who founded the museum through sheer force of will and social power, and Flora Whitney Miller, her daughter, who gave us the enduring legacy through charm and persuasion. It is mostly, however, a memoir about the author, Flora Miller Biddle who is Flora Miller's daughter and Gertrude's granddaughter. This is disappointing because Gertrude and Flora (mère) are fascinating people. Flora (fille) is decidedly bourgeois by comparison.

   In the preface, Mrs. Biddle reminds us "...this memoir does what all memoirs do; it tells only part of the story. Don't memoirs allow writers to keep from revealing all they know?" The sad truth is a reader can learn much more about Gertrude by reading "Little Gloria, Happy at Last". Mrs. Biddle admits she barely knew her grandmother, but surely this doesn't mean there is little to know or tell about her.

   The Whitney was a family institution. Gertrude built it and dared New York to defy her taste in art. Flora (mère) had the grace, the connections, and the remnants of the inheritance to ensure its place in history. They may have been rich and from one of the most socially important families in New York, but this is an astonishing accomplishment for that time. Women simply didn't do these things. Oddly enough, the book takes this achievement for granted.

   Mrs. Biddle has seen - not steered - the museum through its most difficult times, albeit in a role less grand than her mother's and grandmother's. At the same time, Flora, like Flora (mere), has not lost focus of Gertrude's mission to serve the living American artist; not simply be a repository for early to mid twentieth century American art. We are all richer for this achievement.

   It is quite an insight into a museum I have visited since I was a child. Who would have though how disorganized it was? How desperate at times! It is a tribute to the author and her family that they had the vision to recognize the Whitney could not survive as a family institution.

   The relationship the author has had with so many of the artists is awe-inspiring. It is a gift so great she doesn't seem to realize it and these characters, which should fascinate, seem cardboard. The book is a strange combination of chronography and reminiscence; its structure is hard to follow. The author is constantly lamenting that her family is no longer fabulously wealthy (for the museum's sake, of course) which is tiresome. Mrs. Biddle makes quite a show of her rebellion against her parents' society lives and her strive towards `normalcy'. Sadly, this does not seem to have made her happy.

   I love the museum and learned much of the concealed history of an old friend. This got me through the book. If you're genuinely interested in the Whitney Museum of American Art you should read it. If you're looking for the story of four generations of women, for the drive and energy it took them to build and maintain this remarkable institution you may be disappointed.

3 comments about Turn Your Talents into Profits.

1. I should be more disappointed with this book than I am. It's helpful in its own way, but suggestions to seek out further details using suggested Prodigy & CompuServe keywords seem, to be polite, a little quaint, & the publication date of 1998 makes it fairly clear that this is an "updated" version of an older (self-published?) book. One suggested business, for instance, is to start a BBS, a phenomenon that pretty much had gone the way of the mastodon by then.

   The book is also lacking in serious instruction on how to run a business. Since this book is aimed at people who are enough adrift to need these ideas in the first place, the target audience probably needs more than a whirlwind 9-page overview of practical & critical business skills.

   If that's all there is, I would've struggled to give this book a bare 3 stars. However, the majority of the suggested 100+ microbusinesses aren't too bad. Keep in mind that many of them require some sort of preexisting skills; you probably don't want to leap into a mural-painting business if you have absolutely no sense of form or color, for instance.

   More important than the ideas themselves, though, is their range. If you read this book cover-to-cover, or even just flip through it & glean a few ideas that appeal to you, you will definitely be motivated to start concocting your own small-small business. It might be a variant of an idea from the authors, or wholly your own creation, but you'll have been bitten by the bug -- I guarantee it.

   And if you already have an idea, read it anyway! One of the most crushing weights to the entrepreneurial spirit is the feeling that you're the only one crazy enough to try. Reading this book will make you feel a little less lonely. With that to brace you, you'll be a little more encouraged to follow your dream in a sensible & ultimately rewarding manner.




2. If you've been dabbling in a home business or dreaming about starting one, this is a book you've got to have. Turn Your Talents Into Profits will inspire you and encourage you. It's easy to read, gives you lots of great ideas, and has an amazingly complete bibliography.



3. Turn Your Talents into Profits has been in the news quite a bit lately. It was featured on the Montel Williams show in late March, in the March issue of American Baby, and in the May 11th issue of Woman's Day. I think this book has been getting so much attention because it focuses on microbusinesses (very small, part-time, home-based businesses), and microbusinesses are the fastest-growing type of small business in America.

1 comments about The Big Four.

1. Unfortunately this book was written some time ago and it misses our 21st century perspective on the Big 4. If you want to learn about Crocker, Huntington, Stanford and Hopkins this is a great starting point. But the book completely ignores important figures in this history like Stephen Gage, their attorney and mastermind. Gage was the reason that their power extended into Nevada, he controlled Congress and he masterminded the monopoly on transporting coal. How someone like this is not in a Big 4 history is mind-boggling.

No comments about The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt.

5 comments about American Dreamer: The Life and Times of Henry A. Wallace.

1. Doesn't anyone here know how pathetically naive this man was? I mean he wanted to pursue a policy of appeasement with mass-murderer Joseph Stalin - much as Neville Chamberlain had done not a decade earlier with Hitler. Thank God Roosevelt had the sense to remove him from the Vice Presidency.
   
   Don't waste your time; the man, however "idealistic" (meaning he didn't listen to anyone else), is a historical nonentity.



2. This book is very readable and engaging. In parts, you'll learn more about corn and agriculture than you ever thought you would from a political biography, but it isn't dull. American Dreamer gives great insight into many facets of American life from the 20s through the 50s, from the collapse of agriculture to the red scare (among the many things Mr Wallace so accurately predicted or feared). Most importantly American Dreamer throroughly introduces one to Mr Wallace, his faults and greatness.
   
   Even if you're not too interested in Henry Wallace (or vaguely know of him), if you're interested in American history or politics of that era, you'll be fascinated as I was.



3. This is an extremely well written book. Th most amazing thing about it is that is corrects some of the conventional wisdom about Henry Wallace that more "popular" historians of this era like Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough use without questioning.

   A remarkable book about a remarkable man.




4. A biography of one politician written by another could have been a nightmare this fall, but this one is a dream. Culver and Hyde have done a masterful job of telling a great story about someone who has been overshadowed by the giants of the era--Roosevelt, Truman, Stimson, George Marshall, etc.--but who certainly was one of the great minds of his generation. Henry A. Wallace was not only a cabinet member and vice president, he was a journalist, scientist, philosopher and theoretician. Culver and Hyde have captured all the aspects of his public life in an interesting, readable style. This may be more than you thought you ever wanted to know about Henry A. Wallace, but it's worth the time to learn about this fascinating man and his times.



5. This is undoubtedly one of the most impressive political biographies I've ever read. I have to confess from the outset (with a tad of embarrassment) that I pretty much had no idea who Henry A. Wallace was when I picked up this book. What shocked me most after reading 'American Dreamer' was how a man that was so revered and despised in his time has been so conveniently left out of any present discourse on that era.

   In 'American Dreamer', Hyde and Culver give a well-written and balanced account of the life on one of the most enigmatic and progressive political leaders that America has ever produced. Why his name has never come up in years of taking history courses amazes me- especially in light of the fact that his thoughts on the cold war, which he tried desperately to steer us away from, turned out to be quite prescient.

   Henry Agard Wallace was Secretary of Agriculture for eight years, Vice President for four and Commerce Secretary for a short time before his forced ouster. Wallace ran for the Presidency in 1948 on the Progressive ticket, lost, and then left public office. What Wallace left us during this time was a legacy of innovative leadership, genuine public service and a virtual revolution in agriculture.

   Wallace eschewed the world of dog eat dog politics and preferred appealing directly to the public than orchestrating back room machinations. He was honest, direct, practical and always put the public good above his own wants or ambitions. In short, he had everything that seems to be lacking in the American political spectrum today.

   As I read the book I couldn't help but think what would have happened if Wallace had remained Vice President (instead of Truman) and therefore become President at Roosevelt's death. It seems to me that the worse excesses of the cold war and the red scare could have been avoided and that US policy in just about every area may have been put on a more evenly keeled tack for the future (it would have been undone later, but hell, it's a start).

   Wallace was often accused of being an impractical dreamer- but if what he accomplished in his years of public service were the deeds of an impractical dreamer- then we can certainly use more of them.

No comments about Bernie's Game: Inside the Formula One World of Bernie Ecclestone.

No comments about Philip D. Armour.

4 comments about Made in Korea: Chung Ju Yung and the Rise of Hyundai.

1. Steers' book is well-written but is so sugar-coated that it could easily have been endorsed by Hyundai and Chung Ju-Yung himself. For a more realistic picture of Mr. Chung, read Korean dynasty: Hyundai and Chung Ju Yung by Donald Kirk. Kirk pulls no punches in showing the fact that many of Chung's employees secretly hated him for his despotic style of management. The revelations about Chung's personal life are truly shocking.



2. I had heard of Chung Ju Yung from a Korean fiend of mine. While I was going through the lows of my job, this book has motivated me to start my own business soon. The dipiction of one of the greatest entrepreneurs ever is so life-like that it would excite and thrill not just entrepreneurs but ordinary people. I am now reading it the second time and like every moment of it. It gives me goose bumps when I read about how this great man got someone else's money and technology to build ships with no prior experience of his own only to know that the orders would get cancelled upon completion! How one could lose all that he has and yet conclude that he could do anything if he put in his mind, soul and hard work into it. This story of an extraordinary entrepreneur who defied all textbook rules of business is a MUST read for westerners and aspiring entrepreneurs.



3. I thoroughly enjoyed this account of Chung Ju Yung's life and the rise of Hyundai. The son of impoverished farmers, Chung managed to build the world's largest shipbuilding company, create a competitive Korean automobile, and sped the development of South Korea into one of the world's foremost economies--all with little more than sweat and determination!
   Steers does a great job of detailing Chung's personal and business character, along with providing a detailed history of the growth of Hyundai in the larger context of the Korean economy. I highly recommend it!



4. The engineering and managerial feats that Chung Ju Yung accomplished with only a grade school education are amazing.

5 comments about Speed Is Life: Street Smart Lessons from the Front Lines of Business.

1. Packed with great tips, real life tips, not fiction. I've never read a book as devotedly as I read this one. 'Speed is Life' or 'Life is Speed'. True!!! Bob is not only a great success, but is able to tell how he did it, which most people can't. Having a great experience and being able to tell & teach it to others so that they too can be great, is what I consider Bob's greatness. The great principles in this book could be applied to selling peanuts as well as running any technologically sophisticated company in the world, even managing a family, relationship, making good grades at school, or landing a good job. I have made this book my business bible & reference point. If you ever think of making anything come out great & successful in today's world, GRAB this book first & don't part with it. Thank you Bob!!!



2. Bob Davis' book is vastly superior to many CEO memoirs in its clarity, simplicity and sophistication. While much of his "Internet-is-changing-everything" spiel will seem rightfully dated, his core point - that speed has become a critical organizational imperative - will hit home with anyone competing in business today. We from getAbstract recommend this book more for its advice about building cultures of speed than for Davis' dot-com tales.



3. In the interest of speed, suffice to say that one minute spent on this book is a moment wasted.



4. I am an MBA graduate of Babson College, Bob Davis' alma mater, and I have heard Bob speak many times at Babson and at other venues over the last three years. When I heard from him that his book was being released, I knew that I would read it, and I hoped for the best. I was not disappointed.

   Speed is Life, gives the reader an internal view into some of what was going on during the dot-com frenzy. It also includes valuable lessons that Bob was able to learn while being one of the leaders in this hypergrowth industry. The lessons are supported with real-life examples that clearly convey Bob's point as well as inspire an entrepreneur!

   One last item that I can add is that the ideas that Bob writes about are not a result of 20/20 hindsight. When I sat down to hear Bob speak in September of 1999, when I was beginning my MBA, he was preaching the same lessons. First of which was - profitability is fundamental.




5. Davis was a hired gun who jammed, misfired, missed the mark, blew up in everyones face. Contrary to what he would have you believe, he didn't found Lycos -- he was brought in (admittedly on day two) by his pals at CMGI. The real story here is how and why did Davis blow it so bad and huge? He was "first mover" as much as Yahoo and he had every advantage they had, etc. -- except apparantly Yahoo's brains. (Davis's dim tough guy act isn't really an act at all -- its thye real Bob, rough and tough with muscle where gray matter should be.) So instead of being a category leader and defining early web brand and company, Lycos ends up being fourth in a race with three winners (AOL, MSN and Yahoo). Forget the laudantory blurbs -- all those folks are Davis's personal pals who thru barely legal scheming made a mint on Lycos inflated stock price. If you want management expertise, you'll get more out of "Body by Jake."